1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to equipment used to lend stability in deep snow or sand, and more particularly, relates to a collapsible, readily transportable attachment device for use with ski poles and other equipment to better support and disperse a user's weight in deep snow or to better maintain stability of equipment, such as a gun stand or mount, in deep snow or sand.
2. Description of Related Art
Skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and other backcountry sports enthusiasts are frequently confronted with difficult terrain and weather conditions, including extremely deep snow or powder, which make maintaining one's balance or standing up after a spill quite difficult. Typically, losing one's balance in deep pockets of snow requires a great deal of time and expenditures of energy to stand up because the surface tension of the softer powder-like snow does not provide the athlete with a solid surface on which to push up.
The typical downhill or cross-country skier uses a pair of ski poles to help maintain his balance and to provide assistance in standing up after a fall by embedding one end of the pole into the snow and then leaning on the upper end of the pole as a lever-type support while standing. The standard ski pole includes a generally circular cup, or basket, as it is commonly known, proximate its lower end, the ski pole tip extending several inches beyond the basket. The basket is intended to provide a bit more stability and balance to the user by engaging the snow on its lower surface, and also preventing the ski pole from slipping into and being lost in deeper snow. Typically, however, the basket is only several inches in diameter and provides only minimal support in deep powdery snow. More often, the basket will also slip through the surface of the snow cover and allow the remainder of the ski pole to slide into the snow when the user puts any undue amount of force or weight, such as his or her body weight, upon the upper end of the pole.
Snowboarders and snowshoers generally do not use any type of pole or other balance device, but can experience the same difficulties when maneuvering or traversing deep snow when they lose their balance and end up floundering around in the snow for lengths of time in efforts to stand up.
On a more serious note, it is possible for a winter athlete to end up in depths of snow that can be life threatening, for instance, if the athlete struggles to the point of exhaustion or manages by unsuccessful attempts to free himself to bury himself even further.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to provide devices for use with ski poles that basically replace the standard basket and provide additional surface contact area and thus, more stability and support to a skier in deep snow or other unstable conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,975 to Ehemann et al shows a ski pole road and snow support element attached to the lower end of the ski pole rod. The snow support element has a downwardly open shell element with a deflecting collar and a rim for contacting a snow surface and preventing slippage of the pole with respect to the snow surface. Similarly, Wilkrand in U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,250 describes a ski pole which lacks a central spike member, and instead, terminates in a spherically shaped cap-like member for forming a cushion of compressed snow. The cap-like member is intended to act as a fulcrum and bearing point for the ski pole, and includes a cowl on the upper side of the show for preventing the collection of snow. The show includes downwardly projecting teeth around its periphery. U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,559 to Funke discloses a ski pole assembly having a snow engaging disc at one end of the pole which is biased toward a rest position by a resilient tubular mounting member. The snow engaging member covers the free end of the pole in its rest position only. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,669,752 to Jackson et al., 3,743,311 to Giambaiz, 3,858,900 to Quinn, and 3,163,437 to Phillipson also show various types of ski pole baskets.
While the above-described art has attempted to resolve the problems associated with skiing in deep snow, the above devices fail to provide much improvement over the standard basket typically found on both downhill and cross-country type ski poles. More specifically, the above-described apparatus do not suggest that the user could apply a great deal of force upon the pole, and thus upon the basket or support members, without the basket sinking into the snow or even buckling in upon itself. Further, the above patents do not suggest an attachment that can be readily flattened, or collapsed upon itself, to allow the user to easily transport and store the device until it is needed in deeper snow. Rather, most of the above devices show the basket in place for use at all times on the pole, no matter what the conditions, and even that the ski pole must be specially designed or equipped to fit the attachments.
Finally, none of the related art shows or suggests a device that can be used by snowboarders, snowshoers, or winter hikers without a ski pole, rather, worn on the hand.